$750G override heading to Dracut Town Meeting vote

By John Collins, jcollins@lowellsun.com

Updated:
04/24/2013 11:41:08 AM EDT

DRACUT -- Selectmen will propose a $750,000 override of Proposition 2 1/2 to provide additional funding for Dracut's schools, police, fire and public-works departments in the form of an amendment to the town's operating budget -- not as a warrant article -- at Town Meeting, Town Manager Dennis Piendak said Tuesday.

Because none of the 42 warrant articles submitted to the town clerk by last week's filing deadline to be placed on the June 3 Town Meeting warrant mentioned the selectmen's proposed $750,000 override, some advocates for a $2.9 million override proposed by two Dracut School Committee members began circulating a rumor that selectmen were leaving the school district to flounder at Town Meeting (and in a possible July special election to follow) in an "all-or-nothing" override scenario, a miffed Piendak said following Tuesday night's board meeting.

"They're supposed to be educators who are taught how to discern things.," said Piendak. "Apparently, they did not discern. They didn't get what I was telling them."

School Committee Chairman Michael McNamara was among those he met with in his office to explain his plan to introduce the town's alternate $750,000 override proposal as an amendment to the town's budget, Piendak said.

The selectmen's proposal for a $750,000 override will be conditional on the passage of School Committee member Matthew Sheehan's proposal to eliminate the annual collection of a 2 percent Community Preservation Act tax, which generates about $700,000 annually, "so it comes out as a wash for the taxpayers," Piendak said.

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Superintendent of Schools Steven Stone warned both boards at three previous joint meetings that if no override of any amount is passed, it will trigger deep cuts in personnel, including the loss of multiple elementary school teachers, vice principals and guidance counselors. Stone said a minimum of a $1.3 million increase is needed to level-fund the district and maintain the same services as for the current school year. School Committee members Dan O'Connell and Joe Wilkie submitted a Town Meeting warrant article calling for a $2.9 million override, which has received strong backing from McNamara and conditional support from Committeeman Mike Miles, who encouraged selectmen to submit the less expensive override option to give voters a choice.

None of the five selectmen have endorsed Wilkie and O'Connell's call for a $2.9 million override. Sheehan and Miles stated publicly they agree with the selectmen's comments that a $2.9 million override would generate a tax bill increase of $300 in perpetuity for the owner of an average $277,000 home in Dracut, which they believe most taxpayers won't accept.

Selectman Joe DiRocco said the average Dracut taxpayer would be severely impacted by passage of a $2.9 million override, especially when coupled with the $300 average tax increase from previously passed debt exclusions to pay for renovations to Dracut High and Greater Lowell Technical High schools.

"This $2.9 million override would mean $600 to $700 more on people's tax bills," said DiRocco. "Maybe it's not a lot to us sitting here, but that's really a lot of money to some people in this town."

The ongoing tension and verbal jousting concerning the 2014 Dracut School District budget among selectmen, members of the School Committee and public intensified at the board's meeting on Tuesday. During the public-input segment at the start of the meeting, resident Jim Valade dropped on the Harmony Hall meeting floor a "George Malliaros for Selectman" campaign sign, which Valade said he had uprooted from his yard at 615 Mammoth Road, as a protest against Malliaros' non-support of the $2.9 million override.

"I'm concerned this board cannot support an override that provides essential services for our children," said Valade "I heard (from selectmen) 'We support education, we support our children, but not this override.' That doesn't make sense to me, and I cannot support any of this board in this election or any future election if they cannot support the override."

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt," said Malliaros of Valade's action after the meeting. "But I have been calling on voters all over town as part of the campaign, and I know (the $2.9 million override) is just not going to pass. The people do not want it." Malliaros is up for re-election along with Chairwoman Cathy Richardson against three challengers for two selectmen seats in Tuesday's town election.

Selectman John Zimini told the televised meeting audience it makes him "sick to my stomach" to hear critics falsely accuse selectmen of acting in an uncaring manner toward the school district's funding woes. His repeated pleas to have the School District place the Parker Avenue School and school administrative headquarters building on the real-estate market has fallen on deaf ears, Zimini said.

"I have always said the schools are very important," said Zimini. "But we need to put together our budgets in a responsible way that serves the town's entire population."

"People need to realize that our responsibility is the entire town, including our elderly population on a fixed income," said Richardson.

With 42 articles on Town Meeting warrant and in anticipation of lengthy discussions on the dueling override proposals, Town Clerk Kathy Graham asked and received the board's unanimous approval to move the start time of Town Meeting to 30 minutes earlier, at 7 p.m. Also, selectmen voted 5-0 to move the location of Town Meeting venue from the high school auditorium to the gymnasium and cafeteria of Lakeview Junior High School which has an occupancy permit for 900 people.

"We're expecting a very large crowd. Hopefully we can get through it one night because if we have to do it on two nights we may not be able to get the same people back," said Graham.

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